Tag: capcom

Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced a Hulk-sized helping of new information for MARVEL VS. CAPCOM: INFINITE, the highly-anticipated return of the revered action-fighting game series. Imagined and created through a shared vision between the two companies, the game will feature free-form 2v2 team battles integrated into a wide variety of exciting and accessible single player modes and rich multiplayer content for new players and longtime fans alike. MARVEL VS. CAPCOM: INFINITE will simultaneously release on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One®, and Windows PC across North America on September 19, 2017.

For the first time in franchise history, the Marvel and Capcom universes collide in a visually stunning and immersive cinematic Story Mode, as heroes and villains battle together to save their merged worlds from a sinister new threat, Ultron Sigma. A combination of the robotic foes known as Ultron from the Marvel Universe and Sigma from the Capcom Universe, this psychotic villain is obsessed with infecting all organic life with a cybernetic virus. History’s greatest gathering of warriors must now unite to fight back against Ultron Sigma and save their newly formed world.

Announced today, more new characters have joined the battle for survival against the forces of evil in MARVEL VS. CAPCOM: INFINITE including:

Ultron

Hulk

Thor

Hawkeye

Rocket Raccoon

Chun-Li

Strider Hiryu

Chris Redfield

Each newly-added character will feature unique abilities, iconic special moves and will join other previously-announced characters, including Captain Marvel, Iron Man and Captain America from the Marvel side, and Ryu, Mega Man X and Morrigan from Capcom. The use of powerful, game-changing Infinity Stones further deepens the customized gameplay and allows players to equip and unleash elemental in-game powers, such as Time, Power and Space.

In addition to the compelling cinematic story experience, single player Arcade, Training and Mission modes and vast multiplayer offerings will provide memorable experiences and infinite gameplay possibilities for players of all skill levels. More characters, stages, game features and story mode details will be revealed in the coming months.

Pre-orders for MARVEL VS. CAPCOM: INFINITE are available beginning today on all platforms for the $59.99 MSRP Standard Edition and $89.99 MSRP Deluxe Edition. The Deluxe Edition includes the main game on PS4 or Xbox One and a 2017 Character Pass, which contains access to six all-new additional post-launch characters including Sigma, the main antagonist from the Mega Man® X series. Pre-order bonuses for all versions in North America include Warrior Thor and Evil Ryu costumes. Check with individual retailers for details in Europe and Australia as some offers may vary. The pre-order bonus for the Deluxe Edition is the same as the Standard Edition, but also includes two additional costumes: Gladiator Hulk and Mega Man Command Mission X. For specific details, please check with individual retailers.

Capcom also confirmed today that a limited MARVEL VS. CAPCOM: INFINITE Collector’s Edition, brought to you by TriForce, is available now for pre-order on PS4 and Xbox One. It will include four premium character dioramas of Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Mega Man X and Chun-Li, a case filled with six Infinity Stone replicas, as well as SteelBook packaging that contains the Deluxe Edition of the game, all for only $199.99 MSRP. Contents may vary depending on region and for European pricing please check with retailers. All editions and versions of MARVEL VS. CAPCOM: INFINITE will simultaneously release on September 19, 2017.

Yesterday Sony Entertainment gave us the scope on the PlayStation 4, Lead architect Mark Cerny presented and went of the specs of the Nex-Gen console staying the goal is to “free developers form technological barriers.” With a history of 30 years in the gaming industry Mark Cerny has seen it all.

Mark Cerny holding the PS4 Dualshock 4

In the beginning of the event Cerny got into detail of what’s really inside the console, the Ps4 will use the X86 CPU with 8GB memory and a local hard drive; it will also use the APU technology and GDDR5 memory that is found in high end graphics cards.

One of main focal points Cerny and the rest of the developers that spoke put a lot of emphasis on Simple, Immediate, Social, Integrated and personalized as words to describe the Ps4. The first major thing announced was that the console has a secondary chip for uploading and downloading in the background as you play, Example if you’re playing a game and you want to record it all you have to do is press a button on the controller and it will record that very second, that same chip also lets you play Digital games as it’s being downloaded.

Sony’s Ps vita will be compatible with the Ps4, letting the gamer switch between the two without starting your game over, somewhat like the Wii U controller. The social aspect of ps4 looks to be impressive as well players can now tune in to fellow gamers and watches them playing through there game, players can even ask there spectators for help, going as far as giving the spectator the ability to take control of the game. All which Sony’s Anderw House said will create “Experiences that surpass gamer’s wildest expectations.”

PlayStation 4 Specs Chart

From there capabilities of the Ps4 graphical prowess were shown in demo reels of real time graphic engines like the Unreal engine 4, square enix luminous engine, and Capcom’s impressive Panta Rhei engine, also shown was the improvements of the Move and motion stick and how it could be used in the Ps4, with games allowing the player to create things in full scale 3D.

The final hour of the Event was basically dedicated to the games that are going to be released when the Ps4 hits. Games like Sucker Punches Infamous: Second Son and Bungie’s Destiny didn’t have actually in game footage, but developers Guerrilla Games Killzone: Shadow Fall and Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs had on hand real time game demos live.

In the end Sony’s PlayStation Event was what I expected it to be and that is the official announcement of the PS4. From top-tier exclusives from its best studios to multiplatform experiences from respected publishers and developers in the industry, the Ps4 looks to start off with a bang.

Here are the gameplay footage of the new Killzone and a brand new Watch Dogs game footage.

Going to Comic-Con this week? Capcom has tons of fun items in store for your SDCC weekend! Check out the press release below for all the details and we’ll see you guys at the show.

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PANELS

STREET FIGHTER 25th Anniversary Celebration– It’s hard to believe that the world’s greatest fighting game franchise is 25 years old! Find out about the worldwide Street Fighter 25th Anniversary plans which include the ultimate Street Fightertournament series, the feature packed Collector’s Set, and more. Experience the exclusive features in the PS Vita and iOS versions of Street Fighter X Tekken and battle on the go! A few lucky fans will be selected to take part in the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Trivia Contest hosted by Tomoaki Ayano (Street Fighter X Tekken Producer for PS Vita) and Yoshinori Ono (Street Fighter Series Executive Producer) to win awesome prizes or face incredible shame before all of Street Fighterfandom! Plus, some surprises! Thursday July 12 6:00 – 7:00pm Room 6BCF

The Fear and Horror of RESIDENT EVIL 6! – The latest installation of the blockbuster Resident Evil video game franchise arrives this October! Get a behind the scenes look of the most ambitious Capcom title to date from the dev team members Hiroyuki Kobayashi – Executive Producer and Yoshiaki Hirabayashi – Producer, plus Miguel Corti – Localization Director. Make sure to arrive early and receive access to exclusive information, live gameplay demos, a trailer premiere and some surprises! Q&A session to follow. Friday July 13 6:00 – 7:00pm Room 25ABC

Westward bound. Capcom takes the Lost Planet and Devil May Cry franchises in exciting new directions by partnering with Western Development Partners. – Lost Planet 3 releases early next year with a gripping new storyline that provides fans with untold truths from previous Lost Planet games. Set in the frozen tundra of E.D.N. III, the game takes the franchise back to its roots, making gamers rethink everything they thought they knew about it. Come join Capcom producerAndrew Szymanski and a member of the development team from Spark Unlimited and “Go Beyond Survival!”DmC Devil May Cry Producer Motohide Eshiro and North American Producer Alex Jones along with series’ director Hideaki Itsuno bring you the ultimate stylish action game. Detailing Dante’s early years and set against a contemporary backdrop, DmC Devil May Cryretains the stylish action, fluid combat and self-assured protagonist that have defined the iconic series. Come and witness Dante chain together combo after combo with panache as he dispatches the demonic spawn back to hell. See what the game has in store for you January 15, 2013. It’s time to “Face Your Demons”. Saturday July 14 12:30 – 1:30 in Room 24ABC

The World of CAPCOM! – Moderator Francis Mao (CAPCOM) leads a panel of Capcom’s producers and product managers to share trailers and sneak peeks of all the hot, new upcoming Capcom games featuring Resident Evil 6, DmC Devil May Cry, Lost Planet 3, Street Fighter X Tekken (PS Vita) and more! Plus, a few surprises! Followed by a Q&A session. Saturday July 14 4:00 – 5:00pm Room 25ABC

BOOTH ACTIVITIES

Play the upcoming 2012/2013 line-up of games before they come out in stores! Playable demos include: DmC Devil May Cry, Lost Planet 3, Okami HD, Resident Evil 6, Street Fighter X Tekken (PS Vita) and more!

Capcom producers and artists will be hosting signing sessions at various times during the show.

The Capcom store will once again offer special merchandise and limited edition items, in addition to the ever popular Grab Bag filled with awesome Capcom goodies.

There will also be additional special promotions, photo opps, and giveaways galore, so attendees are encouraged to visit the booth often.

CAPCOM-UNITY

The Capcom-Unity team will be live streaming video from the show. Exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes looks and special guests are planned throughout the duration of the convention. Please visit the site at http://www.capcom-unity.com/ and check back often for the latest content.

Older console ports to mobile are becoming a trend, Marvel vs Capcom 2 is joining that list on April 25, 2012 with full action for fighting fans. The game is set to pack the full 56 character roster that made the game a hit in arcades and on consoles for so many years. No word remains on online multiplayer options or even how the control scheme has been designed yet but its safe to say this might be best experienced on an iPad over a standard iPhone simply for real estate space on your screen.

For those wondering, judging by the screens this is a port of the classic version of the game not the HD version found later on the Xbox, that should give some hints at how the mechanics will be balanced as well. Check out the gallery for more info and pick it up when it drops next week if you’re up for the challenge.

Here’s the latest trailer for the highly anticipated Resident Evil 6, this trailer has some interesting parts like Chris and Jake Muller meeting and when Ada Wong captures Jake Muller and tells him he is son of the one and only Albert Wesker the last part of the trailer shows a potential plot twist when Leon and Chris meet up.

Capcom gets pretty crazy with their Captivate show, jumping all over the world to announce their latest games and updates to the industry and fans. This year we get 3 goodies to sink our teeth into with some smaller tidbits as well.

Lost Planet 3

The extreme and unpredictable conditions that characterized the Lost Planet® series return, harsher than ever before in Lost Planet 3. Players take on the role of Jim, a utility rig pilot who has left Earth to take on a hazardous but lucrative contract on E.D.N. III. Delivering a diverse range of gameplay, including third-person on-foot battles and intense first-person utility rig action, players will need to brave the uncharted terrain, hostile climate and threat of indigenous Akrid creatures. With a number of multiplayer modes and a compelling single player experience, Lost Planet 3 will delve deeper into the Lost Planet universe, uncovering hidden truths when it releases in early 2013.

Resident Evil 6

Captivate represented the first opportunity for media to see the highly anticipated Resident Evil 6 in action, with the game’s development team showcasing one of Leon S. Kennedy’s missions. Full of tension, the action has Leon and partner Helena Harper searching for an escape route from the Ivy University campus, the site of the most recent bioterrorist outbreak and the zombies that now stalk its hallways and grounds.

Resident Evil 6 will also see a global release date of October 2, 2012 on Xbox 360 and PS3 with a PC version arriving later

Street Fighter X Tekken

Announced and showcased during Captivate was the Cross-Platform Play for the PS Vita system version of Street Fighter X Tekken which allows owners of the PS Vita system version to compete against owners of the PS3™ version anywhere in the world, via Wi-Fi or 3G. Other features confirmed for the PS Vita system version of Street Fighter X Tekken were the introduction of touch controls, local and Wi-Fi multiplayer plus Near functionality alongside all the content from the home console version.

Other news

Steel Battalion™ Heavy Armor, a collaboration between Capcom and From Software and an Xbox 360 exclusive,introduced a brand new online four player Cooperative Multiplayer Mode available on the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network when the title releases on June 19 in North America and from June 22 across Europe. Attending media were invited to work together, using the innovative mix of Kinect™ for Xbox 360 and regular controller play, and defeat the enemy’s Vertical Tanks.

The wait is over, today Street Fighter x Tekken is here for fighting game fans to sink into, the epic battle uses SF4 style visuals with a complete overhaul to incorporate tag battles, refined gameplay and a gem system to twist up the gameplay. We did a hard crash course in Street Fighter x Tekken to figure out all the changes for the mechanics and how well a Tekken influence worked in this fireball controlled world.

Control

The 6 button fighting style is back, players that got used to the simplified mechanics of UMVC3 will face a bit of shock as the game balance goes heavily into the technical realm. Players will have to balance their own control system that works best for them, unfortunately while the 360 controller works well for so many other things, it struggles with something this deep. If you’ve been on the fence about an arcade stick, now is the time to make that jump into the world if you’re going to make this your full-time game. For those that push onward with the standard controller, expect a lot of thumb wear and tear until you break it in with a lot of matches.

Gameplay

Traditional brawler? Not a problem. Combo / tutorial player? They’ve got you covered too. It doesn’t matter exactly how you plan to play SFxT offline as long as you’re able to land and chain attacks together, the design allows anyone to improve gradually as they experiment and the AI doesn’t overpower right out of the gate.

One of the first shifts in fighting is the speed of the attacks, while some may have felt Street Fighter IV a bit slow or clunky it’s very much not the case here. Jabs and short attacks are quick and unforgiving, anyone with enough practice can tie these attacks into unforgiving chains that change the balance of a fight in a simple moment. One can go from a few shorts and hurricane kick into a team super attack that leaves the opponent either dead or wishing they were. To some extent this gets even worse when bringing in Tekken characters mid-attack as many of them tend to juggle opponents with less effort.

The Gem system is a foundation for Street Fighter x Tekken, the assist gems are always active in the game and allow players to coordinate pairings that help fill the gaps in their style.

Basic Gems

Attack (Red)

Defense (Yellow)

Speed (Green)

Vitality (Orange)

Cross Gauge (Blue)

There’s also the option of going without them and instead just using Boost Gems, the difference is the assists come with penalties on attack power, speed or other areas to help compensate for the gains allowed per match. Boost gems have limited activity periods and boost up to 30% for 10-30 seconds of activity in a match. Unfortunately the conditions for using them are pretty harsh, going from activating during a block, pulling off special moves or connecting to other attacks. It also goes both ways for those using the gems to boost defense, requiring things such as the opponent using Pandora to activate a level 3 defense.

Capcom was so nice to provide samples of the system in action

Default combinations

Super easy input – easier attack execution

Immense power level 1 – 10% damage boost

Iron wall level 2 – 20% damage reduction

Advanced combinations

Onslaught level 1 – 10% cross gauge boost

Divine speed level 1 – 10% speed increase

Immense power level 1 – 10% damage increase

The catch of course is trading up your own attacks or having a limited use of the perks like x amount of times you can use Iron Wall. There’s a lot more depth than one would have thought, it’s a matter of balance and sacrifice to get the job done and hoping that your opponent doesn’t play the same tactics as you.

Street fighter x Tekken still gets even deeper, cross rush, juggling, super charge attacks, ex moves, cross canceling, switch cancels, super arts and of course Pandora. Most of those are familiar to some level but Pandora takes attacks to a new level, it’s a 10 second boost of monstrous power when one of your characters falls to 1/4 strength or lower. The sacrifice is giving up that character for the rest of the round when you channel their energy into your partner, it’s a huge assist but it requires extra thought in the event your opponent still has high health gauges and you’re sure you wont need that partner again.

Story

The clash is on for possession of the Pandora, the mythical object holding untold power to the one who controls it, two rival groups set off to capture it for their own desires and a world battle erupts. Unfortunately the story falls relatively dead after that and the closing scene depending on the skill and characters leaves something to be desired. With something this huge it would be great to have a deeper investment after going through the work to develop such a great introduction anyway, unfortunately there are some really odd ending scripts that include even Zangief being turned Metro… They really went an odd route and I’m not sure if very many of these scripted closures will satisfy the fans or just leave them with blank faces for the next month.

Online play

We were able to get Street Fighter x Tekken online for a few matches, unfortunately one of the most prominent issues we noticed came from network lag, often the sound and attacks dropped out of the match turning some fights into quite a mess for either side. While we were able to get some normal matches it was a bit difficult to believe these matches could be enjoyable when playing cross-country or trying your luck overseas. In a France / Japan pair-up we really saw how bad the impact could be but of course took into account we were sending signals across the world.

If our early impressions are any indicator of the competition online it would be best to get practicing on your best moves asap if you plan to run online. If you’re out for a casual run you might be hard pressed to get one as many are already knee-deep in running the same power moves over and over as you see in most other fighting games now. We understand there’s a demographic that thrives on this but at one point it becomes a battle of memorization vs tactics and anytime we disrupted their chains they fell apart until they could start it again.

Visuals

Graphically Street Fighter x Tekken is wonderful, the translation of Tekken figures over to the SF realm is done with care even if Law’s self grooming makes him look like he’s an extra from Sabotage from the Beastie Boys. It’s hard to be disappointed by the overall looks though, also by some details on character selection it appears there will be the option to pick different base outfits entirely if you’re not satisfied with the original offerings from the team, no doubt those will end up as DLC though.

Character customization is a bit of a step back after using the KOF XIII engine, going from total control of outfit design to 4 starting colors is a bit of a sweep back. We’ve heard this should be expanded though and allow for a full color gamut to be available. Just the lack of such items in the initial play hurt the impact of the feature, hopefully colors don’t turn into another marketing aspect of the game or if it does, it’s a one time thing as I have a ton of color choices I’d love to be able to execute.

Overall

Street Fighter x Tekken is breath of fresh air to the genre, just as everyone reached the peak of what they could deliver in Street Fighter IV, the big reset hits and everyone starts again. Everyone has their balances in the game, Street Fighter characters have power moves but Tekken characters are able to combine power and longer chains and level the playing field. Gems play a crucial role in helping new players get comfortable with the game and also with power players extending their abilities for the crucial moments. As a raw fighter it’s a solid entry, the features and expected DLC do leave a sour taste though as there are some basics that just don’t make sense to hold out on.

With such a clean mix of fighting and technical abilities it’s a shame the net code is buggy right now, those who pair up with closer matches may find themselves able to avoid the lag but anyone extending a bit too far will notice the glitch moves and sound sync issues when fighting it out with anyone.

Special thanks to Tech2k and Franks for pulling the all nighter with me on this one.

Capcom is still committed to try to crank out their top titles for everyone, today we get a dose of that as they announce the PC release date for Raccoon City on May 18th, 2012. The delay i s set to offer higher visual effects supported by PC hardware and of course 3D Vision support for total immersion in the game, hopefully that includes a bump in texture resolution as well so users get the fullest experience on the PC side. Multiplayer is also confirmed for the PC with 8 player team versus battles and 4 player campaign as well. No word on Games for Windows Live powering the online portion of the game just yet. Although given the track record it’s not out of the question.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City arrives for consoles on March 20th and on the PC on May 18th, check out the new Brutality Trailer for a taste of why you might want to be a part of this new adventure.

Nothing celebrates a morning like news of UMVC3 features, today we have news on not only the Vita version of the game but also on Heroes and Heralds mode finally arriving.

First up, Heroes and Heralds arrives December 19th for the 360 and PS3. The ability card mode has been long in the making and managed to tease players even after the fact. It’s a wildcard mode allowing players to concentrate their focus not only on combat but on timing and skill to use these cards to the best of their ability.

A few effects:

Invisibility

X-Factor Burst

Super Armor

Projectile Invincibility

Jump Increase

Team of One

New Combo Chains

Speed Boost

Assist attack stun

Jump Increase

Special attack cancels

Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 just turned into a mess again with all these new features. Even the most rehearsed Youtube characters can’t rely on chains with invulnerability, invisibility and other increases in a match going active when they don’t count on it. As the game passes into Month 2, it will only get added life with these updates. Check out the trailer for teasers of this in action.

Next, if you own a Playstation Vita and wish you could get in on some console gaming goodness, you don’t have to wait longer. The Vita version of UMVC3 is coming and it’s looking good. Capcom has an entire mini gallery out to showcase the progress of it. Check it out below.

On Tuesday one of the greatest Capcom battles returns, 12 new characters, revised fighters and the continued fight against Galactus will roll out on retail shelves. So what’s the verdict? We skipped around the basics that many will find boring and instead decided to focus on the fighters and changes themselves. Expect a separate article shortly focusing just on Heroes and Heralds, our preview copy didn’t have mode unlocked yet so we just blazed through all the characters.

Read up below to decide if it’s worth your time or if you’ll hold out with the original for now.

Galactus:

The big boy is back, this time he’s available in Offline SP mode with most of the devastating attacks from boss mode. Use hand crushes, infinite supers, deadly punches and even the finger flick to toss the AI off walls and develop mini combination strikes. It doesn’t really come into play given so many of his attacks hold concentrated death or 150+ hit attacks that cripple characters for life. Unfortunately, he is only available for offline arcade mode. So no online surprises in ranked matches. If you have a previous save file from MvC3, Galactus mode is available right away. Otherwise, he will be unlocked after accruing 30,000PP.

I felt it would have been an interesting mode for offline versus combat. The VS series has been a favorite party game for most players and using Galactus would make any newbie (or uninterested GF/wife) competitive against more seasoned fighters. Galactus is a fun stress reliever but his mode isn’t gonna be your long term boredom killer.

Strider Hiryu:

Strider is back in action, for those hoping he has returned to his original MVC glory days, those might never return, while he does have Ouroboros as a backup, the majority of his attacks suffer from age in an era of Advanced Guard counters and new fighters. He’s not a wash as a character but timing is critical in how he fights and plays support to the rest of your team, by no means is he a front line fighter anymore with characters like Vergil in the mix. His transition mimics closely to the Strider of the MVC2 era which was very much nerfed for sanity back then.

Strider is better suited to a stick and move style. His move set allows for quick escapes if things start to get too hairy. He can rush in but his low health makes it dangerous to whiff against a power puncher like Wesker. Having two level three specials sounds impressive but in actuality, it sort of limits his rush down tactics by waiting for levels to build and in a Vs game waiting gets you Ko’d.

Phoenix Wright:

Objection! He’s a mystery character in many respects, we spent a bit of time trying to get used to his abilities but it’s still a bit of a mess. You actually have two modes of function, regular mode and secondary where he uses evidence found in battle for special attack bonuses. Add in deciding which super to use at times, Maya is great for a direct offensive but if you need ultimate domination of the screen you can also call out the judge who blacks out the screen for absolute devastation across the screen. He’s quirky but he’s fun, I just don’t know where he might fit in outside of pure support on a team given the strength of Maya’s defense ability.

The little lawyer that could is surprisingly more complex than I had imagined. Searching for evidence takes some time and luckily his Maya call ins can buy you some time and even outright protect you while you snoop around. If you manage to collect three pieces of evidence and hit an objection, he turns into a beast. This Turnabout or, “Light” Phoenix Wright mode, boosts him to devastating levels. He also gains the added bonus of being invincible when you call him to assist in this mode.

Vergil:

Speed doesn’t describe Vergil properly, nothing does really. His attacks are quick and easy to execute, his pure speed and connections are unrivaled in many respects and it’s enough to drive other players up the wall. Fortunately his attacks aren’t as simple as Dante but if you combine the two it’s a pure headache for anyone you’re facing as they just don’t stop their offense. Fortunately if you can juggle Vergil his strength does tend to go down a little faster than the rest of the field.

I’m glad Vergil isn’t the annoying button mashing spam peddler like Dante but get ready to see A LOT of him online. The cross up ability of Vergil is a new level of frustration to employ. There is good enough balance that he doesn’t feel cheap and his combo ability will make him an early favorite online.

Frank West:

Melee goes to new heights, Frank packs an assortment of weapons and short-range strikes against his opponents. Not our favorite addition to the roster at all but what can you do. His range is limited but when he swings that zombie around I would say watch out. The golf club and bat are some of the more common power moves to start or build a chain and they really leave a mark. His power comes from charging in with a power move or two and then connecting and bouncing opponents for extended combos, be sure not to let your guard down around him or he’ll end up chipping away more health than you expected. He’s a solid character and for those who were begging for him to be added they’ll no doubt have a field day with him.

The key to staying in a match with Frank is to take lots of photos! No, really. Taking photos after your combos levels Frank up and boosts his attacks and makes him more potent. It may take a bit too long to get maxed out so a good defense is needed to stack his offense.

Firebrand:

A slower fighter bringing all to many memories of Tron Bonne for attack variations, while his floating and swipes seem to accelerate some combinations, his general movement comes off sluggish at times. To buff that, Capcom gives him a higher damage ability than others, it’s not the perfect solution to an issue like that but with so many characters getting super speed upgrades it might be all they can do. Granted it is fun flying over special attacks with the right timing and wasting someone elses super bar, he’s just not able to deliver that critical combination after the fact. Couple in that his air combinations are a bit tough to pull off but they can setup some powerful team attacks.

Firebrand is a flyer. As long as you keep that in mind, he can be more useful than trying to work on the ground. His air control is among the best in the game. Its a bit early to right him off but his low damage output and chunky feeling makes it tough. That being said, he is fun to use.

Nemesis T-Type:

Slow, clunky, huge. These normally show a problem character, in the case of Nemesis though… it’s just a list of reasons to stay away from him as an opponent. While everyone seems to have taken a dive on damage points Nemesis stands above the rest, his hard swipes bouncing players and his rockets adding insult to injury. He’s slow but he’s massive and takes a lot of damage before he becomes compromised, if you’re using decent support characters you can defend him when he gets in a bind and resume what can only be said as pure abuse to your opponent.

Nemesis is one of the more straight forward, no frills fighters. Which is actually a good thing for him. He is a Tank and I think his boots are made of lead but having a rocket launcher keeps him balanced. His movement speed is among the slowest in the game but many of his specials cover ground well and he luckily has a dash.

Iron Fist:

Fei Long fans may find themselves at home with Iron Fist, his moves strike quick and when chained can inflict a ton of damage. He’s a close range fighter that works best on a weak defense but when combined to an air combo or primary special he can take command of a fight. In a battle of heavyweights Iron Fist will be able to juggle opponents enough to chip their health into the abyss, if you’re able to handle keeping it on the ground or to smaller jumps he’ll devastate anyone hoping to spend the match purely in high altitudes. Relying on him as a backbone to any team is a wise idea just from his endurance.

Iron Fist is good at two things, Wearing pajamas and beat downs. He is one of the more balanced fighters with good speed, defense and power. He feels reminiscent to Hayato from MvC2. There is also something very satisfying about the way he literally kicks and punches your opponents faces in. He also has good combos and quickness to still be able to compete with fighters with a ranged arsenal.

Nova:

A powerful character turns to a devastating force, he’s not a button masher delight which is a relief but he is powerful to the point where it’s frustrating. If you’re familiar with Ryu, Ken, Akuma or even Dan you’ll feel right at home with his attack patterns, pretty much every single move is a quarter turn variation for attacks. Even in the worst spots we found ourselves able to pull out victories with Nova based on the variety of attacks and speed at which he can execute them in the battle. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Nova become a commonly encountered opponent by the technical fighting crowd, he fits in perfectly for anyone looking to execute precision strikes.

I was a fan of Nova before I used him in UMvC3 and now I’m a super fan having used him. His ground speed isn’t the fastest but his specials are relatively quick and help him close distance or get across the screen. His mobility and high damage combos make him very useful. Nova is a great addition to any team as all of his supers work in the air as well.

Doctor Strange:

Another non-base player, Doctor Strange reminds us of an earlier Magneto where timing and selection was everything. Spam attacks will not work coming out of him and patience is a must, learning the full range of his moves and combination attacks for quick damage are key. He’s a dangerous character to face though, his range is the screen and his specials are just as far, for someone who can do range, beams and close combat it’s kind of a nightmare to fight someone when they’re in the groove with him. For Marvel fans, they would expect nothing less of Doctor Strange and it’s well reflected in his fighting abilities in the game. Just use a lot of practice before you try to showdown with everyone.

Dr Strange is one of the more unique energy users in the series. There are enough techniques that will let you jump right in and be effective but there is a lot of potential to be found with some training room time. From specials, supers and even basic attacks, the good Dr is plenty fast. His speed is very useful to move around and set up his more tactical spells.

Ghost Rider:

Bringing hell fire and a relentless chain to the screen can never hurt, actually it can and it hurts like a mofo. Ghost Rider focuses on the entire battlefield with his attacks, the chain can dominate from the ground or juggle opponents and call in characters from across the screen. For those irritated with Phoenix Wright defense the chain does physical damage instead of beam damage and can strike through his assistants shield. His supers are critical for timing, riding on his bike is cool looking until you realize someone hopped right over it and took 0 damage. He’s not a tough character to learn and can be a great help in a pinch.

Ghost Rider is like a more bad ass Dhalsim. His chains have an almost projectile range and if you are up close, you can just burn peoples faces. High damaging moves also often cause knockdowns or wall bounce, which are great combo set ups. The Penance Stare is a close range level 3 super but is able to link directly into another combo for massive damage. In fact, were able to link it into a combo that will wipe out a life bar before you are done adding to your combo hit count.

Hawkeye:

Task Master fans might have trouble taking this one in, Hawkeye is here and ready to roll in the latest battle. Those using him might find him a bit frustrating but we spent some time digging around his combinations to find that he’s not the worst fighter in the lineup and his damage ability is quite high. Direct shots, trick shots and some power supers can really set any opponent up for a fall if timed right. Hawkeye does suffer from the same issue of timing though, while his normal attacks can be chained for support (trick shot and straight shot) his special relies on an open state for the opponent. He’s not for everyone but he can be formidable with the right dedication.

Hawkeye has effective and clever ranged attacks. He also has some pretty effective combos that can be set up from his ranged moves. Although more of a zoning type attacker, he is not a beam spam type as his attacks take some thought to maximize their potential. His speed is decent enough that he can move about and poke arrows into opponents without leaving himself too open. His damage output isn’t very impressive and hurts his overall potential.

Rocket Raccoon:

One of the big gripes with Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 was the lack of range characters like Cable, in a sense you have that again. Rocket Raccoon might not seem like the death bringer that the Viper Beam loving cable was but he’s got a lot of speed, simple range attacks (gun) and even an energy cannon that he can use 2 shots at a time from. For jumpers, Rocket Raccoon is going to be a pain, he loves traps and his specials are dangerous no matter how you approach him, distance fails, jumping in fails and close range is just a bad idea. He’s quick and doesn’t do the most damage but he makes up for that in the ability to dash and juggle opponents like mad.

Rocket Raccoon is one of the most fun fighters in the game. His traps are effective and his gun blasts fire in many different directions to make them effective at keep away, anti air or even jump in combo starters. His normal jump is one of the least amazing things in the game. But, he does have a rocket jump that gives him great multi directional mobility. He does suffer from a serious durability deficiency but he does make up for it with his burrow teleport maneuver and all around quickness.

For us, Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is a dream, it’s a dream we wished could have happened originally as it really makes it hard to revisit the original game after playing through. The additional characters bring new balance to the field and allow people who aren’t fond of characters like Dante to finally strike back and offer some variety to the game. It has polish and even the original characters have been tweaked out, although some may feel Doctor Doom doesn’t need to jet around at the speed of light in his new form. Overall this is the game that MVC3 should have been, one can only hope that Capcom sticks with the game long enough to release decent DLC options until they revisit the series in the future. At 39.99 it’s a steal for any fighting game fan, for existing owners it might be a tough buy but it’s worth it for what they managed to deliver this time around.

Keep a watch out for our Heroes and Heralds impressions, we’ll have it soon!